Java Learning Topics 2018

In the spring of 2018, JetBrains polled over 1,500 Java developers worldwide to identify their learning patterns and preferences. We were curious to know the evolving educational trends among developers and set out to gather insight into how people learn Java on their way to becoming professionals.

We hope the survey findings will help us all better understand how people learn Java and answer some critical questions: How do people start to learn programming? Have they ever considered alternatives to Java? What has kept them driven? Which new technologies do developers aspire to learn in their spare time? And how much time do they dedicate to education?

On top of the survey findings, our developers have added their own insights for learners. Ekaterina Tuzova, team lead in JetBrains Educational Tools, advises staying determined: «Software development is an enormous area so the learning process can be tough just because of the sheer amount of information available. Don’t take it too hard on yourself: you will face difficulties because there’s so much to learn; it is not because you’re not smart enough. If you ever consider quitting, do, because you’re no longer interested. Otherwise, believe in yourself and keep going!» Check out all the other tips for beginner Java developers inside the survey results!

Do you have your own tips to learn Java? Share your insights and findings with us on Twitter or other social media mentioning @jetbrains with the #javalearningtopics hashtag. We’re open to any feedback related to this survey so we can run an even better one next time.
Feel free to also send us any comments or specific questions that are unanswered. Or if you want to delve into the data yourself, we’re also sharing the raw survey data, which anyone can use to arrive at their own conclusions and additional findings.

Finally, we would just like to say a massive thank you to all the survey participants and the amazing JetBrains Research team that made this happen!